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Turkish Breakfast

Turkish breakfast hands down has been one of my favorite memories past-times during the past 6 months. Yes eating and food are absolutely and undeniably an acceptable past-time. Not to mention it can’t be just one of my favorite memories because I have partaken in my fair share of Turkish breakfasts.

This past weekend my friend Allyce visited me and since she was here for 3 mornings I showed her right by 3 Turkish breakfasts. Now I will be sure to highlight some of the things we did this weekend in a future post, because this one is all about the breakfast.

Best breakfast place in Ankara is hands down the Brunch Place (Seyir Cafe) that I talk about in this here post! You cannot be unlimited fresh squeezed OJ and strawberry juice. That stuff gives ambrosia a run at the mill for the claim to fame of being the drink of the gods.

Best Breakfast House in ALL of Istanbul is hands up in the air – Van Kahvaltı Evi. That place knows how to stuff you up like a Turkey without wanting to roll out the door. Check out this here post where I mention them! This was the first breakfast spot that I took Allyce too – aka her first taste of Turkey (:

Our amazing spread from my most recent visit to Van Kahvaltı Evi

Allyce getting her first taste of Turkey

Near to my university is another great breakfast place – Sade Kahve where you mostly sit amongst the locals enjoying your piping hot tea while getting great breezes and wafts of Bosphorus air. Quintessentially cute. One of the first places where I have seen simit included in the bread basket.

Köy Kahvaltsı Plate – the egg baskets are just plain cute.

Simit, whole grain and white bread for the bread basket

My week of vacation with my host family where I had Turkish style breakfast every morning on that there porch. Turkish families are able to produce a spread just as worthy of a restaurant.

and for kicks, let us not forget the breakfast I endured with baba Yusuf (Turkish host dad) after I spent the night in a crumpled heap on the bathroom floor from some unknown ailment. Let’s just say that he was not gonna let me leave the breakfast table until I drank at least 1 çay and ate some bread – the bare minimums of Turkish breakfast.

Let us not forget the extras to Turkish breakfast like the Turkish “pancake” – gözleme. Ohh so delicious that I will surely have to embark on a cooking challenge when I get home in trying to replicate them. They can be sweet or savory, but tend to be the latter with fillings like spinach, cheese, potatoes, and mushrooms.

This one is sweet with honey and walnuts. Ohh so wonderful.

The other added essential of menemen – the Turkish version of scrambled eggs. This too I will venture with once I return home. I am way prepared with having made the necessary purchase of a menemen pan (:

So what to expect when you come to Turkey is great breakfasts that are bursting with the flavors of different cheeses, jams, the ohhh so delicious combination of honey and kaymak (Turkish clotted cream), breads, cucumbers, tomatoes and of course the Turkish tea.